Transaction Card Supporting Multiple Transaction Types

1. A transaction card, comprising: a memory operable to store a plurality of transaction profiles associated with a transaction card holder; a user interface to receive input from the transaction card holder; and a communications interface to convey one of the plurality of transaction profiles selected via the user interface to a transaction party other than the transaction card holder, the communications interface comprising an electromagnetic element and configured to emulate a magnetic stripe by varying a signal applied to the electromagnetic element while the element remains stationary in a transaction party's magnetic stripe reader such that the varying electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic element appears to the magnetic stripe reader to be a moving magnetic stripe.

2. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transaction profiles comprise transaction profiles from a plurality of transaction account issuers.

3. The transaction card of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface comprises a wireless interface.

4. The transaction card of claim 1 , further comprising an authenticator to authenticate the identity of the holder of the transaction card via at least one immutable physical characteristic.

5. A method of operating a transaction card, comprising: storing a plurality of transaction profiles in the transaction card associated with a transaction card holder; receiving input from the transaction card holder; and conveying one of the plurality of transaction profiles selected via a user interface to a transaction party other than the transaction card holder via a communications interface comprising an electromagnetic element and configured to emulate a magnetic stripe by varying a signal applied to the electromagnetic element while the element remains stationary in a transaction party's magnetic stripe reader such that the varying electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic element appears to the magnetic stripe reader to be a moving magnetic stripe.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of transaction profiles comprise transaction profiles from a plurality of transaction account issuers.

7. The transaction card of claim 5 , further comprising authenticating the identity of the holder of the transaction card via at least one immutable physical characteristic.

8. A machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a computerized transaction card system to: store a plurality of transaction profiles in the transaction card associated with a transaction card holder; receive input via a transaction card user interface from the transaction card holder; and convey one of the plurality of transaction profiles selected via a user interface to a transaction party other than the transaction card holder via a communications interface comprising an electromagnetic element and configured to emulate a magnetic stripe by varying a signal applied to the electromagnetic element while the element remains stationary in a transaction party's magnetic stripe reader such that the varying electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic element appears to the magnetic stripe reader to be a moving magnetic stripe.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of transaction profiles comprise transaction profiles from a plurality of transaction account issuers.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 , the instructions further operable when executed to authenticate the identity of the holder of the transaction card via at least one immutable physical characteristic.